Who said you can't buy Love?
by SagaChronicles
Summary: Ron is in love with Hermione but not for the reasons he thinks. There is a deep secret behind there a relationship, a secret only Hermione knows.
1. Chapter 1

"Close your eyes," Ron whispered. "I have something for you."  
Hermione giggled and did as instructed. They were in the forest of Dean. Ron had wanted to go on a picnic without the use of any magic. Birds sang above them as the bright sun shone down on to where they were sitting.

"Ok," he huffed, Hermione couldn't help but notice a nervous tone in his voice. "Open your eyes."

Hermione opened them and looked into the eyes of her boyfriend who was kneeling beside her, cupping something sparkling in his hand. Hermione gasped as she got a closer look. It was a diamond ring placed in a pretty pink paper box.

"I wanted to do this the Muggle way," he smiled. "Hermione Jean Granger, will you be my wife?"

Hermione's eyes filled with tears of joy. She had never felt so happy. She nodded, "Yes!" She managed to whisper. "Oh Ron!"

Ron took her hand and gently slipped the elegant ring onto her finger. She stared at it gleaming on her finger, she had never seen anything so beautiful. He softly kissed her neck. His eyes met hers and he looked at her lovingly. Hermione couldn't believe it, he had done everything so perfectly. The picnic, the engagement, she always imagined it like this when she was a child. No magic what so ever.

She wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him. For a minute she forgot about the world, nothing else existed, it was just the two of them in their own perfect universe.

"I love you Ron Weasley," She smiled.

"And I love you Hermione," he replied. "You're the only girl I ever have loved."

Hermione suddenly returned to reality and she remembered everything.

* * *

**Author's Note : Longer chapters to follow xx Please no hate, I ship Romione , this is just an idea that was in my head. xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione's heart pounded with guilt. There was something she had kept from him. A secret she had been keeping to herself for the past two years.

"Come on, I can't wait to tell everyone," Ron smiled and pulled her up off the ground. "Mum always reckoned I'd be the last one to get engaged."

He linked arms with her as they walked. She kept a smile on her face but inside she was screaming.

* * *

It started when Ron was dating Lavender. Hermione was jealous, she knew he didn't really have feelings for Lavender, he wasjust being stupid. She knew the chemistry they shared even if Ron had not realized it yet. She decided she would help him realize how he truly felt.

Fred and George had hired some younger students to sell their products in the school, Hermione just had the job of finding the right student to buy products off. She was a prefect after all.

In the hallway one evening after classes, she noticed Colin Creevy's younger brother Dennis handing out love potions to some first years in Ravenclaw. She marched over to him.

"I'm sorry Dennis, but the headmaster has asked me to confiscate these products off students," She informed him in her most high and mighty prefect tone.

"No please don't! The twins will kill me," He moaned. "Ron let me off with them."

"Of course he would, I'm sorry Dennis but I'm just doing what I'm instructed, you're going to have to show me where you keep your stock," she told him.

Dennis huffed and hung his head as he lead her to the boy's dormitory. Under his bed was a chest full of Weasley products. Hermione smiled to herself as she lifted the chest from the ground and carried it back to her own dorm.

She sat on her bed and unlocked the chest with _Alohamora. _Inside was hundreds of small vials of love potions and a few other products that were of no importance to her. She picked up a vial and smiled at her reflection in the glass. All she needed to do now was find the right opportunity to use it.

"Hermione!" A voice cried behind her. It was Ginny. She quickly slammed the chest closed.

"Ginny, what is it?" She asked.

"It's Ron, he's been poisoned! He's in the infirmary," Ginny told her.

Hermione gasped. Who would poison Ron? She had no idea but maybe this was her chance. She slipped the small vial in to her pocket.

"I'll come down with you!" She offered Ginny. Ginny lead her quickly to the infirmary where Ron was lying unconscious on a bed. Madam Pomfrey was standing over him. Harry and Professor Slughorn were standing not too far behind.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"There was a bottle of mead in Slughorn's office, it had been poisoned and he drank it," Harry explained.

"Is he ok?" Hermione asked in a panicked tone.

"He should be," Madam Pomfrey replied. "I'm sure he'll wake up any moment."

"Somebody should tell Lavender," Ginny sighed and left. Hermione noticed that everyone else was talking or had left. This was her opportunity. She walked up to Ron and put one hand on his face as if she was lifting up his head. With her free hand she pulled out the glass vial of love potion that was burning inside her pocket.

Gently she popped the lid off. She knew how strong this stuff was and she couldn't make it obvious. She poured the smallest drop onto Ron's tongue and slipped it back in her pocket. It wouldn't make him fall madly in love with her yet, but it was a start.

* * *

"Oh Ron! Hermione!" Molly shrieked. "At last. I'm so happy!"

"Congratulations Son," Arthur smiled and gripped Ron by the hand. "And thank you for not saying no!" He joked with Hermione as he kissed her on the cheek.

They had returned to the Burrow to tell Ron's family the news.

"Hey! We just heard the news," Ginny exclaimed as she appeared from no where with Harry behind her. She threw her arms around Hermione. "I'm so happy for both of you."

Everybody knew how eager Ginny was for Harry to propose but Hermione knew Harry was waiting for the right moment. Ginny kept dropping hints every now and then. Then here Hermione was, engaged to a man who didn't even know why he loved her. It her feel even worse.

Within in minutes, Percy, George and Angelina and Bill and Fleur were in the house, celebrating the engagement and raising a toast to the happy couple.

"Now you're officially part of the family," Molly grinned. "Although we always thought of you as a daughter Hermione. My son is so lucky to have you as a fiancee and we're so happy to have you as a daughter in law."

"We have to throw an engagement party!" Ginny exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. "I'll organize it!"

"Ginny, there's no need-"

"Yes there is!" Ginny replied. "This is one of the happiest events in a girl's life, it has to be celebrated!"

She ran upstairs but Hermione noticed her casually looking over her shoulder to see if Harry had picked up on anything. It appeared that he did not.

While the others chatted she thought to herself. How could she get herself out of this mess? _I don't want to lose him,_ she said to herself. _But if I tell him he will leave me. He could get really upset and do something stupid. Surely I'm not hurting anyone by doing this?_

"Hermione, are you ok?" Ron soflt whispered in her ear as he kissed her neck.

"Yes, I just need some air, I'll be back in a minute." She whispered back. She climbed the stairs and found herself in Ron's room.

She sat down on his bed and took out the half empty vial in her pocket and held it in her hand. "What should I do?" She asked herself out loud.

"Hermione, what's that?" Ginny asked, as she stood at the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Things ended with Lavender and Ron soon after he woke up mumbling Hermione's name. Hermione knew her plan was working. She diluted the potion so that it was less powerful but at the same time turned Ron towards her, until eventually she stopped diluting it. She found ways to get a drop of potion into Ron every day, sometimes she slipped it into his breakfast or drink or she would bake for him or buy him chocolates or jelly beans and then place a drop of potion on them. Not even Dumbledore picked up on it, but then again he had far greater things to deal with it at the time.

She had everything planned out tactically, she had planned Ron's dosage and when everything would take place. She decided she would take her time , it would look bad for Ron if he started going out with her right after he broke up with Lavender.

But then everything took a turn for the worst, Dumbleodre was killed and Harry wanted to go out alone finding horcruxes.

_I can't let him go alone,_ Hermione told herself._He is one of my best friends. __He's always been there for me. If he goes alone he could be killed. I have to wait, I'll just have to let Ron be the something I look forward to at the end of it all._

* * *

"Ginny," she shrieked.

"Hermione, what's in that vial?" She glared.

"Oh this? It's medicine," she quickly lied. "From my muggle doctor back home, this was the only vial I could find in the house."

"But why do you have a love potion vial?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"George gave us some things from the shop, I guess he put this in there by accident. I emptied the vial of it's contents and I guess never threw it out."

"What's it medicine for?"

"I have a swollen glands," Hermione replied, with the first thing that came to mind knowing that Ginny wouldn't bother to research this. Her mother had suffered from it recently.

"Can I see it?" Ginny asked.

"No," Hermione panicked.

"Why not?"

"Because, eh, I need to drink it," Hermione stammered. She stared at the half full vial, she had no other option but to drink it. She tilted back the vial and the liquid ran down her throat. She hated the sickly sweet taste of it, it was powerful stuff, she had to get out of here as soon as possible now that she was about to fall in love with herself. She had brewed an anti-dote months ago, in case it was ever needed. Love potion was known to have driven people to extremes, hopefully it was still there.

"I have to go," She stood up and walked to the door. As she did she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. Her hair seemed to gleam and she couldn't believe how fantastic her eyes looked. She put her hands on her hips and admired her amazing figure. She was mesmerized by the sight of her own face and body and the golden brown hair on her head. It was like looking at a princess from a fairy tale book she had read as a child.

"Don't I look amazing today!" She exclaimed in a girly voice.

"What?" Ginny frowned. "Hermione, are you ok?"

"Wow, you're brother is so lucky to have me," she giggled. "I'm so pretty. I should be married by now! I don't understand why boys don't fall at their feet for me! Why has it taken your brother so long?"

"Hermione!" Ginny snapped. She snatched up the empty vial from Hermione's hand and sniffed it. Meanwhile Hermione could not take her eyes away from her reflection.

"If only I could marry myself!" She exclaimed with a girlish laugh.

"Hermione!" She shouted loudly. "That was no medicine. That was love potion and you've just drunk it yourself!"  
Hermione jumped back in fright and remembered that she needed to go. "I'm sorry, tell Ron I've gone home!" She told her then disapparated.

Hermione arrived in the small house she and Ron were renting together near Hogsmeade. She ran upstairs to her bedroom where she looked under her bed. She found the trunk she had taken from Dennis Creavy a few years back and snatched it open. Ron didn't know about this chest. She kept all her purple vials of Love potion in here. She looked at her nails, they were pretty. She really couldn't understand why she needed to use the potion to make Ron fall in love with her, she was perfect.

A small green vial stood out among the others. She grabbed it eventually after admiring her reflection in the glass vials several times. She pulled open the top and swallowed a mouthful of anti-dote. It was just as strong as when it was brewed. She felt her mind recovering and she came back to her old self again.

She heard somebody enter the room. Ginny had apparated after her. "I think, you have some explaining to do," She scowled.

* * *

As they set out on their journey for the horcruxes, Hermione found it more and more difficult to slip love potion into Ron. There were somedays when she didn't get the opportunity to so she gave him double dosage the next day.

When they get to the Forest with the locket, then was the most difficult time. When Ron wore that locket, he didn't trust anyone. He got too paranoid and temper-mental. It got harder to slip the potion into him as one of them was always on guard while the other slept and everyone was so observant of each other. Hermione no longer found opportunities to slip it into Ron's food or drink.

He got angry while wearing the locket, he shouted at Hermione and Harry then took off. Hermione cried for days, maybe he was sick of seeing her face and no longer wanted to be around her. Maybe the love potion was the only reason he still followed Hermione and Harry. Most people would have run away when they had the chance to. Instead Ron had agreed to come on one of the most dangerous journeys that would ever come his way.

Hermione thought she would never see him again, he couldn't possibly want her if he didn't have the effect of the love potion on him anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

Ginny stood with her arms folded. "Hermione, what have you done?" She asked in an offended tone. "How long have you been using these on Ron?"

Hermione sat shamefully on her bed. "Please Ginny, I can explain?"

"Can you?" She raised an eyebrow.

Tears filled up in Hermione's eyes. "Ginny, I love him so much. I need him."

"When did you start?" Ginny asked.

"When he was dating Lavender, I was jealous, I thought he might notice me more if I used these but I just never had the heart to stop. What if he doesn't really want me?"

"Well that's his choice Hermione!" Ginny barked. "You can't mess with someone like that, this is my brother, I am not letting you hurt him."  
"Ginny! You can't tell him," Hermione begged.

"And why shouldn't I? I have every right to!"

"Please don't do that Ginny."

"Fine, you have to tell him, but if you don't I'm telling him myself!" Ginny scowled and stormed away. "And you can tell my family too!"

* * *

Hermione cried almost everyday when Ron was gone. She had a horrible feeling he would never come back, but Ron did come back and Hermione made sure she never lost him again. She increased Ron's dosage so he would never leave her again. Finally he was hers. They shared their first kiss in the chamber of Secrets and she never left his side again. She felt so complete after that kiss. He meant the world to her. She knew she had made the right decision. She never let him leave her side after that.

During the battle of Hogwarts, they arrived in the Great hall only to find Fred had bee killed. Hermione stood around the grieving Weasley family who included her as one of their own. They had always been so kind.

Only a few weeks later, Hermione noticed that some of her love potion supply was running low, some of the vials had broken inside her beaded bag. She had no other option but to travel to Weasley's Whizarding Wheezes. She had not spoken or seen George since Fred's funeral but she doubted he would return to work this early.

But she had guessed wrong. She entered the shop which was as busy as usual but seemed less alive. She saw George standing behind the counter sadly counting money.

He looked up and saw her. "Hermione!" He smiled. She approached him. "Hey George, you're back working?"

"I needed something to do," He sighed. "I can't stand it at home, Mum keeps crying and Dad's so upset but he's trying to keep us all together at the same time. This is a distraction for me. What are you doing here?"  
"I just needed some air," she lied. "It has been ages since I was last here."

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" He asked curiously. Hermione would not often spend her money on items she did not need

She looked around her in desperation for an answer. She caught sight of the love potions and the red vials to their right. "Yes, I wanted to get some of the Ten Second pimple vanishers."

"Here take some," George smiled. "You're practically family now anyway. At least you're helping Ron recover, he has something to keep his mind off it all. So does Ginny and Bill. Charlie and Percy are busy too." George faded away into his own thoughts.

"I think I'll have a look around first," She smiled. "You look tired George, you should take a break."

"Yeah," he sighed. "Maybe I will, Bertha, can you cover for me for a few minutes?.Feel free to take what you want."

Hermione felt terrible for him, Fred's death had really got to him. She saw a blonde haired girl take George's place at the counter. She sighed with relief and when George was out of sight she placed down an entire box of love potion vials on the counter. She paid for them with the galleons she had and got out of there as quick as she could. She had managed to hide her shameful secret once again.

* * *

"Hermione! Here you are! I was so worried!" She heard Ron say. She was sitting on her bed, thinking to herself.

"Sorry, I needed some air." She told him. "I needed to lie down. It's so overwhelming."

"I'm sorry," he frowned.

"No! Don't be!" She pleaded. "I'm fine, honestly."

"Ginny told me you went home, is she ok? She seems pretty angry. Do you think it's because I proposed before Harry did?" He asked with a broad grin. "I think this is the first thing I have actually beaten Harry at."

"I don't know," Hermione replied. She wanted to tell him but she wasn't ready to let him slip out of her finger.

"We should visit your parents, and tell them properly. Well they already know, but I feel like we should visit," Ron smiled. "I heard it was a muggle tradition to ask the father's permission before proposing to his girlfriend. So I did."

"Ron!" She exclaimed. "What did he say?"

"He said he couldn't wish for a better son in law," He beamed.

"Oh Ron, you're to sweet. I can't believe you did all this for me!" she cried. How could she break his heart after all this?

"Do you think you'll be feeling a bit better tomorrow?" He asked.

"Why, what's tomorrow?" She frowned.

"Harry and Ginny are organizing a party with all our friends and family for us tomorrow evening. You could invite your parents if you wanted to," He told her excitedly.

Hermione frowned. She couldn't turn up with Ron in front of all their friends if Ginny was threatening to reveal her secret. It seemed like Ginny was leaving her no option.


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione lay awake all night. She had to tell Ron before the party but she didn't know how to break it to him. Maybe there was some way she could get out of the party or make Ginny forget everything. She knew some memory loss charms. She sighed at her thoughts, she had hurt Ron enough was it really necessary to hurt his sister.

She knew how this was going to end. She was going to have to tell him before the party. Maybe he would understand.

She finally got some peace out of this thought and went to sleep as the sun rose. It was late when she woke up, she looked at her clock, it was just past midday. She got up in a panic. Usually Ron woke her in the mornings and they would go to work together.

"Ron!" She cried through the house but there was no reply. She continued o shout his name but he wasn't there. She began to panic, maybe Ginny had told him or he found out himself, either way this was terrible. She ran down to their kitchen where a white piece of parchment waited for her on the kitchen table. It was Ron's hand writing.

_Gone to work, told minister our news, he said you could take the day off. You deserve it! I love you, see you tonight. Ron._

Hermione froze. She wouldn't see Ron until tonight. That meant she had no chance of getting to tell him. Harry had mentioned how busy a week it was at work. She noticed he had eaten the breakfast muffins she had made him which were laced with love potion. She began to tremble. Ginny wouldn't let her away with this but there was no way of contacting Ron, he never got her owl post at work because he was always too busy. She had no other option but to go to the party, hopefully she could grab Ron before Ginny saw her.

* * *

After an afternoon of nervously sitting around, Hermione got dressed up in a blue dress and the pearl earrings Ron had bought her for her last birthday. She disapparated to the Burrow at eight o clock where the party had well and truly begun. She was devastated, all her guests were here already and Ron was somewhere in the crowd.

She made her way inside the house which was flooded with relatives,school friends, work colleagues and others. "Ron!" She cried out desperatley among the crowd but she could not see her fiancee anywhere.

"Oh hello Hermione," Luna smiled. "I was wondering when you would get here, you look great. I'm so glad for you and Ron."

"Thanks Luna, have you seen Ron anywhere?"

"Yes, he's been looking for you all night, he seems quite excited," Luna replied. "He was in the kitchen a few minutes ago."

"The kitchen," Hermione repeated. "Ok, thanks Luna."  
She ran towards the kitchen. "Ron?" She called.

"Hermione," a voice replied but it wasn't Ron's.

"Ginny," Hermione sighed.

"Hermione, why haven't you told him yet? My brother is going to have his heart broken."

"I tried to Ginny! But he was gone all day! You didn't need to organize a party to prove your point!"

"I didn't organize this, Harry and my mother did, I asked them to cancel it but they wouldn't because I didn't give them a good enough reason to why they should. Hermione, you have to stop this right now or I'm telling him myself!"

"I don't even know where he is!"

"Let's go find him then!" Ginny snapped, she caught Hermione by the wrist and dragged her into dining room where most of the guests had gathered.

"Ron, Hermione's here!"Someone shouted. And all of a sudden Hermione could see Ron, he was standing on something, a chair or a table, surrounded by their friends.

"I want to make a toast," Ron cleared his throat. "Do you see my lovely fiancee over there? She is going to make me the happiest man alive. I never loved any other woman except Hermione. She is amazing, loving and honest. I can't believe I'm this lucky. Thank you Hermione, I love you."  
His words were like knives. _Honest. _She so ashamed of herself. What had she done to Ron? Everybody applauded and Hermione felt people patting her on the back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ginny making a hand motion to Ron which beckoned him towards them._  
_

"Hey," He greeted Hermione with a warm kiss. "You look beautfiul."  
Ginny groaned. "We need to talk, now."

Hermione and Ron followed her outside where they could have some privacy.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked as his face fell. He knew something was wrong when he saw Ginny's sincere frown and Hermione's tear filled eyes.

"Hermione has something to tell you," Ginny said sharply.

"Ginny, please, why do we have to do this tonight?" She sniffed.

"You have to tell him the truth Hermione!" Ginny snapped.

"What truth?" Ron frowned.

"Ginny, I can't, please-" Hermione cried. Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Fine then, but I can tell him. Ron, Hermione has been using Love Potion on you since 6th year."

"What?" Ron asked. It seemed as if the love potion had suddenly worn off. "Hermione? You're kidding, right?"

Hermione stayed silent. "No she's not, she has a trunk full of potions at home," Ginny continued. She sounded angry and upset. "Tell him Hermione."

"I'm sorry Ron," she sobbed, keeping her eyes to the ground.

"No! No! This can't be happening!" Ron shouted. "Why would you do that?"

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

"Well I'm sorry I ever met you! He cried and stormed inside getting lost in the crowd. Ginny ran after him.

"Ron no!" Hermione called but she was left in the darkness completely and utterly alone.


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione returned home and sat awake all night, crying. Ron didn't come home. She had lost Ron as well as Ginny and the entire Weasley family because of her stupidness and possibly Harry too. She was thankful it was Saturday, she didn't have to go to work looking like an emotional wreck.

It was eight o clock in the morning when she heard the front door open. "Hello?" She called out. "Ron?"

"No it's me," Harry replied, he followed her voice into the kitchen where she was sitting with her head in her hands.

"Harry, I'm sorry," She cried.

"You owe me no apologies," Harry shrugged and sat down.

"What happened, last night?" She asked. "After you left?" He answered. "Well, I saw Ron storming upstairs , he was really upset, so initially I thought you two had a fight and then Ginny came and told me what happened."

"But what about all the guests, did they find out?"

"No, surely you couldn't expect Ron to humilate you like that? Plus, it would embarass him just as much. We just told the guests that you had gone home sick. Molly and Arthur don't know what happened,they think you just had a small fight over something stupid.I think Ron intends to keep it that way, it's really hit him Hermione, I was with him all last night."

"I feel terrible," she muttered miserably. An image of Ron, with red puffy eyes and shut in his old bedroom entered her mind. It felt like a punch in the stomach.

"But why did you do it Hermione?"

"Harry, I know you knew I always loved him. In 6th year, when he was with Lavender, it just hit me so hard that I might never get him. I thought the potions would just be temporary but I was scared he would stop loving me if I didn't continue to use them everyday. Do you think he'll ever forgive me Harry?"  
"I don't know Hermione," He sighed. "At the moment he can't believe it's true."

"The love potion is probably still in him." Hermione replied. "I wouldn't blame him for hating me, or any of you for hating me."

Hermione heard the front door open again. She stood up of her seat as two pairs of footsteps entered the kitchen. It was Ginny and Ron.

"Ron!" She gasped. He didn't even look at her, he looked angry but lost at the same time. Under his eyes were swollen and red from crying, his hair was a mess and he was still wearing the white shirt he had been wearing last night.

"I need to get my belongings," he mumbled. "You're moving out?" Hermione cried. "Ron , please don't."

"And why not? Tell me why I should stay here?" He raised his voice. His sharp eyes met hers as he spoke.

Hermione looked at Harry and Ginny. "Can we talk alone for a minute?"

Ginny looked uncertain, she looked to Ron. "Yeah fine," Ron replied. "For a minute, although I don't see a point."  
"We'll be outside." Harry told them as he dragged Ginny out of the house.

"Ron, please try to understand," She started.

"I can't!I mean it makes so much sense now, you were the only girl I could ever lay eyes on after Lavender, but I'm so confused."

"About what?"

"About why I remember loving you before I broke up with Lavender. And why when I left you in the forest, it was because I couldn't stand the sight of Harry around you. And the only reason I came back was because I was terrified about you. My chest, it hurt so much each day I wans't with you, and last year when you were at school, I mean how have you even been managing to give me this potion?"

Hermione sighed shamefully. "Maybe that was just the potion affecting your mind. I slip it into your food every morning or into your mouth in the morning when you're sleeping but that's rare."

Ron looked blankly at her. "Food?" He frowned. "Really?" He seemed annoyed with himself he began to laugh angrily to himself.

"What?" Hermione whined. "Ron, I can't tell you how sorry I am."

"No, you don't understand Hermione, I never eat the food you make for me, it always tastes disgusting, no offence. I haven't eaten anything you made in about two years."

Hermione's mouth fell open. "Wait, are you sure?"  
"I'm afraid so," Ron sighed. "I really don't know how to feel now, it means all this time, it didn't matter that you were attempting to drug me and you lied to me. This is so irritating, I'm so angry with you but at the same time it hurts to be fighting with you."

"So what do we do now?" Hermione asked. Ron sighed. "What can we do?"

They sat in silence for a few moments. Finally Ron spoke. "We jump back a few steps. We slow everything down and we start over. If this was meant to work we'll work through this."

Hermione looked at him in surprise, she slipped the ring off her finger and placed it in his palm "We start over," She smiled.

"I'll save this for the right time," He smiled. "Come on, we have some explaining to do."

Hermione took her boyfriend's hand. She may have lost a diamond ring but at least she hadn't lost Ron. They would work through this, she didn't need potions or charms, just dedication and pure love.


End file.
